Mono - You Are There (2006)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Mono & World's End Girlfriend - Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain (2005)

In early 2006, I moved across the country with my then-girlfriend and a group of bandmates. Despite having so many familiar faces all around -- most of us moved into the same house, even -- my homesickness, for the first few months, was overwhelming. This is, in all likelihood, why You Are There, released shortly after I arrived, struck such a chord with me. From its haunting valleys to its furious, anxiety-ridden peaks, You Are There was, and still is, one of the most deeply sorrowful instrumental records I have heard. For many, Mono's approach to post-rock is too by-the-book -- play quiet, play loud, play quieter, play louder -- and this record marks the moment that they fully embraced this approach, but to me, there's a genuineness to their crescendo-core that bands like Explosions in the Sky simply cannot tap into.

Track listing:
1. The Flames Beyond the Cold Mountain
2. A Heart Has Asked for the Pleasure
3. Yearning
4. Are You There?
5. The Remains of the Day
6. Moonlight

Giant me on the other side